Mikkelsen Muzings: 2015-10-11

Week of October 5-11, 2015

The last pond with water still in it. The rest have dried up.
Starting to show the fall colors

What a great week! Time goes by so fast that its hard to remember all that happens. I guess that can be good or bad. We'll call it good! We started the week harvesting potatoes and ended it watching conference. I know. Conference was last week, but rather than staying up till 1:00 AM, we opted to watch it with the branch.
Had a lot of fun harvesting potatoes. Everything is always more fun when you are doing it for someone else.

Just getting started

Harvesting Florida-style :)

Here we see it done with a Nevada/Kazac flare

Elder кудайберген

Finished!

A perfect example of Ukrainian generosity. She is packaging
produce for us to take back to share with Branch members.

Tuesday we went out to another village to check on members and found a sweet sister and her husband out harvesting, an untranslated as yet, vegetable. Since we had told her we would come out the next week to help, we grabbed shovels and knifes and dug in. If anyone recognizes said vegetable, let us know what it is. They use them to feed their cows. They look like huge, elongated, white or red or orange beets or turnips. We only made it through a couple piles before we had to leave so we told them we'd come back the next day. Such gracious people. If you come to help, you can't leave without being fed,( even if you are more trouble that you are worth) and you leave with half of the farm in tow.

This shows how far we had to go

What are these?

Tak, what did we do the rest of the week? We fed the Zone leaders, watched our green elders who have only been here 3 weeks teach amazing, spirit-filled lessons at English class, taught a couple other children's english classes, did some visiting, some of which was heart breaking and some wonderful, went to a great District meeting where we were challenged to ponder on why we are here on a mission and what we need to do to help ourselves and our investigators to progress, and one of our favourite parts of each week is our visit with our dear Alexandra.

Zone leader with Elder Snow from Colorado who is new to the mission

If we ever learn any of this language, it will be because of Alexandra. I wish we knew how to express our gratitude to her and to Zina. Zina was amazing this week. It was so cold while we were topping beets but this city girl just dug in and made it enjoyable for all of us. Sister Rosa was so nervous to have us come because she didn't know how she would talk to us but Zina, one more time, worked her magic.
Thursday we had out last SKYPE tutoring session from the Provo Senior MTC. Can't believe we have already worked with them 6 months. I guess, when anyone listens to us try to speak the language they wouldn't believe we have been working for a year on the language either. We get a lot of smiles, laughs, and nods at all our attempts, and sometimes get discouraged, but we will still keep plugging along. Whatever level we reach by the time we leave will be well worth the effort.

Saturday we were finally able to watch Conference. I love Conference! It seems like every time we watch we say that this was the best conference, ever and so it was this time. We watched 2 sessions Saturday with a Ukrainian break in between sessions. That means juice, treats, and lively conversation. Then the same thing on Sunday. One of my favourite talks was by Elder Maynes on Saturday morning. He taught that a potter must have his clay perfectly centered on the wheel before he starts to make a pot or the clay will splatter everywhere instead of taking shape. Its the same with our lives. If our lives are centered on the Savior, they will have form and bring us joy.

It reminded me of that scripture in Ephesians 4:13-14.
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"
"If our lives are centered in Jesus Christ, He can successfully mold us into who we need to be in order to return to His and Heavenly Father’s presence in the celestial kingdom. The joy we experience in this life will be in direct proportion to how well our lives are centered on the teachings, example, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ."

Saturday, after conference, and cleaning the church, we headed out to introduce the Elders to one of the villages and to pick some amazing apples.